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Fewer achievement tests, post-interim reports, adapted assignments for 4th graders before transfer – Bavarian Education Minister Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) wants to use these measures to ease the plight of many students related to Corona . In grades 5 to 10, the goal is to reduce the number of school assignments this school year, Piazolo confirmed at a press conference about the start of lessons after the Christmas holidays. In fourth grade, that is, before transferring to high school, this year 14 assignments must be written instead of the 18 planned.
Also, according to Piazolo, final exams will be postponed in all kinds of schools, details are yet to be discussed. Bavaria students will also receive their interim reports later, on March 5 instead of February 12 as planned. “In this way, parents and students can trust to receive a meaningful interim report on their level of performance,” explained the minister. The so-called “transfer certificate” in fourth grade will be postponed for about a week. There will also be binding instructions to set priorities in the curriculum so that teachers and students are not pressed for time, Piazolo said.
Schools: Piazolo wants to “maintain high quality”
The minister defended the recent decision to forgo face-to-face classes for the entire month of January due to Corona. He noted that “we fought among ourselves for a long time in all committees.” The school sector must also make a “contribution to reducing contact.” Basically, however, one wants to “maintain the high quality of the Bavarian school system”. In grades 1-6 there should also be emergency care in January if parents depend on it for professional reasons, for example.
The education minister justified the state government’s decision to cancel the carnival holidays this year and instead established an additional week of classes from February 15 to 19. One reason for this, according to Piazolo: for classes that can return to face-to-face classes as of February 8, “it would not make educational sense” to return from vacation a week after the start. Basically, they hope “that we can start with as much classroom teaching as possible in February,” Piazolo emphasized. Whether that will work too cannot be predicted yet.
“Mebis”: Piazolo sees an “exaggerated” debate
In view of the uproar over the repeated failures of the Bavarian online learning platform Mebis due to overload, Piazolo spoke of an “almost abnormally publicized” debate. “Distance education is not Mebis”, emphasized the minister. The learning platform does not create direct contact with the student, video conferencing tools are more important. In this context, Piazolo also rejected the mockery of the Ministry of Culture’s recommendation that teachers also be able to contact their students by phone. A host of learning tools must be used, from school books and the phone to messaging services and video offerings like Microsoft Teams.
Mebis is well suited for certain things, Piazolo emphasized. The minister admitted, however, that the technical problems with the platform were “very annoying.” Mebis had technically developed during the Christmas holidays. “Basically, Mebis can handle a large number of users.” In any case, the platform is only used by about 15 percent of schoolchildren during the day, predominantly middle and high school students. Problems arise when “a large number of users log in at the same time.” A call could provide relief.
Landtag SPD calls for Piazolo’s resignation
The SPD education expert in the state parliament, Simone Strohmayr, was “angry” at Piazolo’s remarks. “The detailed measures presented by the minister to deal with distance education do not bring any relief to students, teachers or parents,” he complained. Postponing transfer certificates for a week is a joke in bad taste, “to put it mildly.” “Why can’t you finally make up your mind to completely abolish transfer regulation in these difficult times?”
Strohmayr is calling on the state government to suspend performance surveys this school year, except for final classes and upper secondary school. Distance education has long been known to increase inequality of opportunity in Bavaria. Also in the Mebis affair, Piazolo could not give the go-ahead. “Instead, he loses himself in the relativizations and tries to downplay the issue,” complained the SPD politician, adding: “Today’s press conference has shown once again that Minister Piazolo is not suitable for this position. On behalf of the SPD parliamentary group, I again urge you to resign. “
Special committee meeting in state parliament?
More recently, MPs from the FDP, SPD and AfD had asked Piazolo to resign. The Greens, the SPD and the FDP have now requested a special session of the education committee in the state parliament. “FW Education Minister Piazolo has so far not presented a clear concept of how schools function in pandemic conditions and how the remainder of the 2020/21 school year can end well,” he said. “The agenda of the special session of the education committee should include the report of the minister of Education of FW, a debate on the beginning of classes in January and the unresolved problems of digital education.”
“To put it mildly, Bavarian education policy is absolutely uneven. Be it ventilation systems, school family laptops or the Mebis learning platform, there are problems everywhere,” explained Max Deisenhofer, Green’s education policy spokesman. Group. Matthias Fischbach, spokesman for education policy for the parliamentary group FDP, also criticized Piazolo: “Despite repeated statements, the Bavarian education minister has so far failed to improve conditions for distance education or secure our schools, for For example, with air purifiers for classroom lessons. Currently more than overwhelmed. “
